Ride to the End - The Black Chapter
by ChooChooTwins
Summary: After defeating Alder for the title as Unova Champion, White receives a letter from her childhood friend, Black, to head to Nimbasa City. However, rather than the peaceful reunion she was anticipating, her life is thrown into more chaos as she becomes tangled into the business of Subway Masters Ingo and Emmet as they attempt to undermine a plot intent on destroying the region.
1. Chapter 1

White, her hand raised to her mouth, hid her smile once more from her fellow train passengers as she slid a slightly crumpled piece of paper from a plain white envelope. The envelope itself was simply messaged "To White," in hastily scrawled handwriting. She didn't have to look at the return address to know who it was from, although she scanned her eyes over her childhood friend's name anyway.

"You sure enjoy old-fashioned things, Black." She mused to herself, flipping the paper over and unfolding it on her lap, smoothing out the crease. The writing was an obvious attempt to have eligible handwriting, yet the excitement could practically be seen in the jerky scribbles. Nonetheless, White's eyes flitted through the words, absorbing every detail.

"Dear White,

Congratulations on becoming the new Unova champion! I knew you would be able to defeat Alder for the title. I'm sorry that I couldn't be there for your coronation, but I have an idea about how I can make it up to you. I'd like you to come meet me at Nimbasa City in a week. We can have a trip down memory lane there! All the rides, the shows and food shouldn't have changed much since our last visit. Oh and don't worry about paying for anything because it's on me. Well I can't wait to finally see you for the first time in what seems like forever.

Sincerely,

Black"

White fought down the fluttering in her heart as she stuffed the paper back into its original home, and she shoved the entire bundle into her bag, closing her eyes as she imagined her friend's face. Memories of the days she spent with him caused her throat to catch oddly, and she cast her gaze downward to hide her reddened face from nobody in particular except the rest of the passengers. The train hardly creaked or groaned as it shot down the narrow, pitch black tunnel, and White could enjoy a relatively bump-free ride, to which she took advantage by settling back into her chair with a deep sigh. She picked absently at a lock of her dark brown hair that twisted over her shoulder, twisting it around her finger before letting it fall once more and contemplating about her destination at Nimbasa City. Black had told her to meet him there, so here she was, on the train speeding towards her meeting destination. Her eyes slowly began to droop as she reminisced; however, she was interrupted when a loud crack rang out from the next train car over. A terrible wail accompanied the noise soon after. White practically leapt out of her seat at the out of place noises, and she whipped around in an attempt to spot whatever had made the sound. Other passengers shifted in their seats, grumbling, as they looked behind them as well. The blood drained from White's face as a tall man, face obscured under a black scarf and hat, burst into their car, violently waving around the pistol he was gripping tightly in his hand.

"Everybody put their hands up!" He ordered in a low, authoritative tone, and although the scarf muffled his voice slightly, the point was clear. A few frightened whimpers emanated from the crowd, but other than that, the passengers remained in stunned silence. White obeyed the stranger promptly, not wishing to find a bullet in her face, and lifted her arms quickly above her head, all feelings of calm completely lost. The other passengers followed suit quickly, items thudding to the ground as people immediately dropped what they were doing to do as he said. Adrenaline shot through White's veins, causing her heart to race and her palms to quiver slightly, yet she kept herself under control given the circumstances.

"Is he going to kill us, mommy?" A little girl cried from somewhere in front of White.

"Quiet!" The gunman snarled menacingly, swinging his arm so that the gun was pointed straight at the girl's mother. "Unless you want your mother to disappear permanently, I suggest you shut your mouth!" White winced and desperately fought the urge to reach for her Pokeballs, which were nestled inside the bag sitting next to her. If he could only look away for a small period of time, then perhaps she could send out one of her Pokemon… No, there was too much risk, she knew.

"Now, each and every one of you are going to hand over your Pokeballs and other personal items to my partner, who is coming over here any second now." He ordered, interrupting White's internal planning and also dispelling her initial plan. As soon as he had spoken, another man clad in similar attire burst through the car door, carrying a large case.

"Everybody come up one by one and hand us your belongings, or else my friend with the gun will make things very nasty for you." He threatened, opening the case. He raked his gaze over the group, and his eyes stopped and settled on White. Her heart sank as she watched him draw breath. "You there, girl, bring your stuff with you. And don't let me lose sight of your hands!" White, moving incredibly slowly, scooped up her bag, which was filled with all of the memories of her journey and her friends. She gritted her teeth and tried as hard as she could not to think about it as she walked stiffly towards where the two men were waiting. Unfortunately, as she handed the bag awkwardly towards him, much to her horror, the letter she had just been reading fluttered out and spiraled dejectedly to the ground. Mortified, she remained frozen to the spot as the man bent down to scoop it up. The other gunman continued to eye her warily as his partner picked it up as if suspecting her of other intentions. "What is this?" The man mused, waving the letter through the air.

"It's nothing, really." White replied desperately, boldly opening her palm in a gesture seeking the return of her letter. "Please give it back, it's important to me." The man scoffed at her, raising his eyebrows in disbelief.

"You think that this is about you?" He laughed, tightening his fist around the letter and effectively crushing it. "Just hand over your stupid stuff and we won't have to fill your body with lead." White gulped at the threat and let her hand drop to her side. She hung her head dejectedly as the man wrenched her bag out of her hands and threw it into the case. "Go back to your seat!" He ordered, and White quickly spun around on her heels, trying not to suddenly sprint back to her seat. She observed the shocked, petrified faces of the other passengers, some in tears and others with their hands over their mouths as if to stop themselves from throwing up. White slowly sank back into her seat, trying to fight back tears from welling up. There had to be something she could do, she thought, wracking her brain to find a solution. She was the new Champion, for crying out loud; certainly there was something she could do about the situation. The robbers must have not recognized her, as her victory hadn't been announced yet on the news.

"Next person!" The gunman yelled, brandishing his pistol once more. "You!" He gestured towards an elderly man who was cowering in the corner of his aisle. "Get over here and drop your stuff. We don't have much time until the next stop." The old man attempted to speak, but he seemed to choke on his words from pure fear. With a shaking hand, he began to gather his belongings, when the surprising noise of the train doors sliding open caused everyone to turn their heads. White poked her head over her headrest to observe the sudden intrusion, and she watched in shock as two men, clad in long, heavy coats and conductor hats, strode purposefully into the car as if there was nothing wrong going on. One of them was wearing a jet black coat with red stripes, a large folded collar obscuring most of his neck, and a mildly disapproving frown on his face, which was framed with short white hair arced around his ears. Underneath the coat was a white work shirt with a clashing blue tie and smooth black dress pants. His conductor hat was similarly black with a design ornamenting the front that vaguely resembled a TM. The man who stepped beside him, to White's surprise, looked nearly identical, except rather than black, his coat and pants were white instead, and a devious smile lit up his face. The two looked to be about in their late twenties or thirties, and although White felt a glimmer of recognition towards the odd couple, they still seemed extremely out of place in the dangerous situation that was occurring. Rather than react in fear, the two merely folded their arms, and the one in the black coat's frown deepened. A moment of stunned silence encompassed the train car, and White glanced quickly at the robbers. Their faces were taut with shock, and the gunman seemed to shake off his initial surprise as he raised the gun to the two of them.

"I know who you are!" The gunman shouted, his voice quavering for the first time. "I'm warning you, I will shoot!" The man in the white coat turned to the other, his smile now quite sinister.

"What now, Ingo?" He said calmly, his eyes narrowed.

"I say we clear this scum off of our train as fast as possible." He replied, reaching for his coat pocket. The gunman followed his movements nervously with his eyes, and his grip tightened on the gun.

"Don't move!" He blustered, shifting his aim towards Ingo, and White swallowed in fear. Ingo stoically ignored him and dug his hands into his pocket, carefully watching the gun. Moments of tense silence continued as he seemingly continued to rummage around, and both party's eyes never left each other, not even for a second.

As the gunman narrowed his eyes and began to apply more pressure to the trigger, suddenly, the man in the white coat yelled, "Eelektross, Thunderbolt!" White's hair practically rose as a flash of electricity shot through the air, aimed straight at the man's chest. The air filled with the acrid stench of something burning as the bolt made contact with the gunman and ran its current all throughout his body. Before he hit the ground, he squeezed the trigger and a bullet pinged harmlessly against one of the windows, effectively shattering the entire structure. Screams erupted from the passengers as the terrible crash echoed through the tunnel. Glass glinted beautifully in the dim lighting as it rained down on the floor, and the ground soon became entirely coated with the substance. White whipped around and spotted the sleek blue figure of an Eelektross wrapped around the subway bars just above the gunman's head, still crackling with electricity, effectively obscured from sight. White launched out of her seat immediately, but a warning glare from Ingo stopped her in her tracks.

"Chandelure, Psychic!" Ingo ordered, pointing a finger at the already downed man. A Chandelure suddenly seemed to materialize out of the dark corners of the train car, its purple flames flickering violently as it hovered just in front of him. It let out an unearthly wail, and an eerie blue aura seemed to surround the man before he was jerked up like a ragdoll, his limbs stretched in awkward positions. Chandelure screamed once more before the man was thrown to the ground and struck the metal with a terrible thud. The air was completely driven out of his lungs, and he lay there gasping for breath, immobilized by the series of attacks. He could only whimper as he was lifted back up into the air and thrown back down like a limp doll. "That's enough, Chandelure." Ingo grimaced, but White could tell he looked pleased as well. When he turned to glare at the man's partner, he discovered that he was huddling, petrified, in the corner of the car, rendered a complete baby in the face of danger. The two men snorted simultaneously in disgust at his cowardice, and Ingo turned to the other.

"Good work, Emmet." He said, glancing down at the Xtranceiver on his wrist. "We should be stopping at the next station in about two minutes, so let's get these criminals restrained." Emmet nodded and moved forward to apprehend the man, who was now lying ominously still on the train floor. After watching the two move around, swiftly and efficiently tying up the two goons with wire, White came forward at last.

"Um…" She began. "Do-"

"Ah yes, you'll need your belongings back." Emmet interrupted. He moved forward to pull her bag out of the criminals' case, and stepped over their tied up bodies to hand it to her. White reached out gratefully to take it out of his hands, ignoring the man as well, who remained silent.

"I can't thank you enough!" White blustered, but Emmet had already turned away from her and was leaning over something Ingo had in his hand, a frown creasing his face.

"What is it, brother?" He asked, and White tried to peer over his shoulder to see the item they were scrutinizing so carefully. So they're brothers, she thought. It made sense, considering they looked nearly identical. Her heart dropped as Ingo continued.

"One of them had a letter in his hand." He reported. "It's probably some sort of communication between him and whatever colleagues he works with. This could be evidence, Emmet!" He leaned back on his heels, satisfied with his findings.

"Very good." Emmet agreed. "We ought to analyze this as soon as possible."

"Ah… That's…" White started, but suddenly a shriek filled the air and the train lurched under her feet. White glanced outside the window to discover that the train was rapidly closing in on the next station, which happened to be the famous Gear Station, the control of all of the subway tracks. The train glided smoothly to a halt on the platform, where panicked passengers burst out of every door, screaming and calling out to their family and friends. White remained uncertainly on board, stalling for time to get her letter back. Ingo and Emmet stepped up behind her.

"Go to Officer Jenny, she will take care of you." Ingo urged, giving her a helpful shove on the back.

"We'll take care of this quickly so that your subway experience can be improved." Emmet added, and the two glanced at each other before marching out of the train themselves. White sighed deeply and followed after them, dodging panicked civilians as she made her way towards the small police force gathering by the entrance to the station.

After shouldering her way through waves upon waves of people, she caught a quick glimpse of two trailing black and white coats before they disappeared around a corner.

"I'm not letting them get away with that letter!" White seethed aloud, causing a few people to shoot her odd looks. She redoubled her efforts, pressing on until suddenly, she came face to face with a blue uniform. She glanced upwards to look into the stern face of the famous Officer Jenny, who frowned in disapproval.

"Where are you going?" She chastised. "We need to get this situation under control, so unfortunately, you aren't going anywhere."

"Well, uh…" White replied, thinking quickly, "I have to go meet... Emmet and Ingo? It's important." Forcing herself to sound more relaxed, she prayed that she had remembered their names correctly, and sighed in relief when Officer Jenny's face relaxed.

"Of course, why didn't you say so?" She exclaimed. "They went that way." The policewoman pointed her finger at the main staircase leading into the station.

"Thanks!" White exhaled, her lie secure. She pounded up the stairs, her legs moving as fast as she could make them, and her face burned as she thought of what the police would think of her letter. Bursting into the clear outside air, she realized that the sun had already begun to set in the sky, turning the clouds a fiery orange, and the air began to grow chilly and dry. White hugged her arms around her shoulders for warmth and set off at a forced march down the road, hoping to catch another sight of the odd duo. The neon lights of Nimbasa began to flicker to life as the night descended slowly upon the city, and White hoped to find shelter before it grew too dark to find her way around. In a stroke of luck, she heard the soft jingling of bells emanate from a nearby street, and as White turned to find the source, she noticed a heavy brown door creaking open, and then a hand covered by a white striped sleeve allowed the door to swing back shut. "Hah, they're not getting away that easily!" White cried triumphantly, darting forward towards the door. Glancing upward, she saw that the sign signaled the building as a bar, and she gulped before wrenching the door open herself. Instead of the blast of music and stench of alcohol hitting her, she encountered the rather pleasant atmosphere of a dimly lit, rather small restaurant furnished with black and red furniture. Allowing her eyes to readjust to the lighting, which was only assisted by small lamps hanging from the wall, she remained awkwardly in the doorway, hearing the door slam shut behind her with the jingling of bells. She ventured forward slightly, and almost immediately noticed the two figures sitting on stools at the bar, hunched over and talking quietly to one another. They simultaneously looked up in surprise at her approach, and White glared defiantly as she put her hands on her hips.

"You two better give me back my letter!" She yelled defiantly, pointing an accusatory finger at the startled men.

"Ah…" Emmet, the one in the white coat, spoke up first. "You were the one on the train with us, yes?"

"What can we do for you?" Ingo, the other, continued. "If there's a problem-"

"Well, actually…" White interrupted, and she felt sheepish now, having burst in after stalking two strangers and yelling at them. "Thanks for saving the passengers on the train, ok?" She stammered. "And for getting my bag back."

"Oh." Emmet looked rather taken aback. "Think nothing of it. We would risk our lives for the trains."

"Um, ok." White replied awkwardly. "Well, the point is, you guys took something important of mine, and I want it back." Ingo and Emmet glanced at each other momentarily in confusion.

"I'm afraid I'm drawing a blank." Ingo replied, a quizzical look on his face.

"Oh, you would know, since you were the one who stole it!" White shouted, then slapped a hand over her mouth when her voice reverberated off of the bar walls. "Sorry about that." She winced, continuing in a lower tone, "Remember, my letter? You took it and left before I could get a word in otherwise!" Understanding dawned on Ingo's face, and he reached into his pocket and withdrew the small white envelope.

"This is evidence, we must keep it so that we can analyze it." Ingo explained.

"That 'evidence' is my friend's letter!" White exclaimed, making a grab at it, but Ingo pulled it back, leaving her swiping at only air. "Please don't read it, it's embarrassing!" Even as she said the words, she began blushing.

"You know better than to tamper with crime evidence." Emmet chastised.

"But it's not crime evidence!" White implored the men to understand. "I swear, it's from my childhood friend! Besides, who do you think you are, anyway?" The two stared at White as if she had suddenly sprouted two extra heads.

"You don't know who we are?" Ingo asked enigmatically, and Emmet attempted to suppress a grin yet failed.

"No, but you do seem familiar somehow…" She replied, staring closer at the patterns on their coats. "Why would you save the train, have no problem getting past the police, and insist on following this case to its end?" Ingo gave her a sour look, and this time Emmet allowed a small laugh to escape.

"It's quite simple, really." Ingo and Emmet chorused. "We're the Nimbasa Subway bosses." Recognition dawned on White as memories of hearing of the two powerful trainers who ruled the subways came back to her.

"Of course!" She exclaimed. "I know who you two are, and I know you're definitely not trainers to be trifled with…" Even after her praise, she still gritted her teeth in frustration. "Yet I'm not moving an inch until I get that letter back."

"No can do!" Emmet replied cheerfully, pointing at the open stool next to him. "You'd better sit down, 'cause you're obviously going to be here for a while." White sighed, and she meandered over and sat down hard in the chair, smacking her open palm against the smooth granite counter. Ingo let out a deep sigh as if he could foresee the enormous rant that White was preparing. A sudden question budded in White's mind, taking priority over her bargaining.

"Why are you guys on the surface, then?" She inquired. "From what I've seen, you guys practically live underground, being Subway Bosses and all."

"That certainly is a good question." Ingo said dryly, shooting a look at Emmet.

"We're here for a business deal, you see." Emmet explained, ignoring his brother. "Otherwise, we'd be too glued to our paperwork underground." White nodded, frowning slightly as she processed what he had said.

"Who would you need to do business deals in person with?" She pressed further. "Don't you have lackeys for that sort of thing?"

Ingo glanced around before lowering his voice and leaning in. "It's an important person. You probably know them, and we are personal friends with them as well."

"It's only a matter regarding the transportation of goods, so don't worry about it." Emmet added.

"Ooh, do I get to meet this individual?" White asked innocently. Perhaps they can put some sense into these guys to get them to give me my letter back, she thought dryly.

"Do you?" A familiar voice emanated from behind White, causing Ingo and Emmet to grin simultaneously. "I'm sure you can figure that one out by yourself."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

White whirled around and came face to face with a familiar woman, who was leaning against the wall just next to the stools, dressed in a fashionable yellow dress and black tights. She hadn't even heard the door shut behind her.

"Elesa!" She cried, identifying none other than the Nimbasa Gym Leader, and Elesa stood up straight, smiling as she extended her hand out in front of her. White took her hand and shook it lightly, grinning in return as she remembered the fierce fight she had endured with this particular leader.

"Hello, White." The electric gym leader greeted her with a smooth, relaxed tone. "I must admit, I certainly wasn't expecting you here."

"We weren't either." Emmet piped up. "But it seems we have something she wants." Elesa turned to face him, a quizzical look in her eyes.

"And what might that be?" She asked dryly, raising an eyebrow. "Another misunderstanding?"

"This letter." Ingo interrupted Emmet before he could speak, waving the small piece of paper in front of him. "We found it in the hands of the criminals on the train, you see, so we were going to analyze it. But it seems this young lady demands that we return it."

"Darn straight!" White practically hissed at them. "I've told them what it is, but they won't listen to me!" She turned her pleading eyes towards Elesa, seeking assistance in the mature leader.

"Oh, give it here." Elesa said in exasperation, ripping the letter out of Ingo's hands despite his protests. She unfolded it and scanned through the writing, to White's dismay.

"Give it back!" She protested, grasping it with both hands, and Elesa didn't fight back as it was pulled from her grip, but a wide smile stretched across her face. "You saw it, didn't you?" White asked accusingly.

"My, if it isn't childish love!" She giggled. Turning to the two brothers, who sat in utter confusion, she elaborated, "It's nothing special, you worrywarts. Just a schoolgirl's romance, I'm telling you." White, mortified, hid her face in her hands as the two stared at her incredulously.

"It's not like that!" She insisted. "We're friends, is all!"

"Yes, I'm sure, the letter had NO signs of affection in it whatsoever." Elesa said in the same airy tone, when her gaze suddenly became downcast. "Now that this has been cleared up, I would like to explain my initial request to you in person." Ingo nodded and gestured to the empty chair next to him.

"Sit down, and we'll hear out any request." He offered, and she took the seat gratefully, sinking onto the stool.

"As you know, I have an important fashion show coming up, which means I have a vital shipment of my new outfit coming from another region." Elesa explained. "Now, I'm sure you two of all people know about the worrying number of crimes occurring on the rails lately." Emmet nodded grimly, but Ingo shook his head.

"If it's a matter of trust-" He began, and Elesa held up a hand to stop him.

"I trust you guys completely, which is why I'm here right now." She interjected. "I'd like you two to personally conduct the train with my shipment on it, if it's alright with you. It's already been shipped to Castelia, and with you two at the reins, I can be confident that it will arrive safely and on time."

"Your trust is well placed." Emmet assured her. "You can be certain that it will be here as soon as possible." He glanced down at his wrist, which White finally noticed had an Xtranciever clasped to it. "If we arrive there tomorrow via train, we can board the other train and be back in Nimbasa before dinner."

"Mind you, we'll have to find the exact times, but that won't be a big deal." Ingo added. White glanced sideways at Elesa and found her expression to still be troubled.

"I hate to make you two do all of the work for that long…" She said, frowning slightly.

"I can tag along, if you'd accept me!" White offered. After the twins had virtually saved her life back on the subway, it was the least she could do to assist them on their journey. Elesa seemed ecstatic at the offer.

"Three of you would be able to take the workload better, I'd think!" Elesa said, clapping her hands together happily. "And with the way I've seen you fight, White, anyone who would dare attack the train would be flattened in an instant between you lot."

"You're too kind." White said awkwardly, staring at her feet.

"Honestly, I am grateful." Elesa insisted. "How would you like to be in one of my fashion shows sometime? Maybe even this one."

"I mean, sure…" White said. A chance to be in one of the famous model's shows was slim to none, and she was astounded at the mere thought.

Turning to Emmet and Ingo, Elesa continued, "You two are alright with this arrangement, yes?" They nodded simultaneously.

"I don't see anything wrong with that." Emmet said, turning to his brother, who echoed his sentiments.

"Of course, we could use the extra hands, especially in case the train is overrun…" Emmet hardly finished before Ingo slapped him roughly on the back of his head, causing him to reel forward.

"Except for the fact that will never happen, not on my train." He interrupted, a harsh tone in his voice, quickly throwing an apologetic glance to Elesa.

"Great, then it's a date!" White said jokingly in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere. "Let me just register this in my Xtranciever…" Suddenly, she froze as she remembered something vital. "Oh no… I'm supposed to meet my friend tomorrow!"

"What time?" Ingo asked.

"Hmm… I'd say around noon." White replied, twirling her hair in frustration.

"I'd say that's about when we leave." Emmet informed her. "Perhaps he would be ok with tagging along?"

"Ah, that could work!" White exclaimed. "I'm sure he would agree to it, as long as it doesn't totally interrupt our plans."

"Plans?" Ingo questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, nothing." White replied hurriedly. "Point is, the date is still set for tomorrow at noon, right?" Emmet nodded, and White continued on before Ingo could say anything, "Where should we meet tomorrow? Gear Station?"

"Yes, that sounds appropriate." Ingo replied. "Should give you some time to acquaintance yourself with your boyfriend."

"Ok- Wait, what?!" White stuttered. Turning slowly and deliberately towards Ingo, she spoke as clearly as possible, "Don't get the wrong idea!"

"Merely a joke, White." Ingo sighed. "Why don't you go home and get some sleep? It will be a long day on the rails tomorrow."

"Yeah, good idea." White said. "It's not even that late, but I'm exhausted." Right after saying it, she yawned loudly.

"You must be tired." Elesa said. Way to state the obvious, White thought. "I can help you walk to wherever you're staying, if you need."

"That would be great! I don't exactly know my way around Nimbasa very well…" White admitted.

"Alright, let's get going!" She replied, and then she turned to the twins once more. "Goodbye, Ingo and Emmet. Thank you guys for everything, and I'll see you tomorrow before the train departs."

"See you." Ingo said shortly, and Emmet echoed his farewell.

"Till tomorrow, Elesa."

The two promptly turned back to face the counter, resuming their low conversation.

"Right then, let's get going before they start ordering drinks." Elesa laughed, and as she proceeded to the exit, White swallowed nervously.

"Surely they wouldn't get drunk before a big operation?" White whispered, slightly afraid of the answer.

Elesa laughed once more at her reaction, and once the door had safely closed behind them and they were out of earshot, she explained, "I don't think they've had a drink in a few months, if I recall." She frowned. "And considering they're not lying."

"Dear Arceus, we're dead." White rolled her eyes to the heavens. "The last things we need are a couple of tipsy conductors." Elesa nudged her with her elbow, smiling widely.

"Lighten up already!" She exclaimed. "It's a joke. The point is, they're the most reliable guys I know for getting a job done, so there's no reason to worry."

"If you insist." White sighed, watching her breath cloud in the chilly air. "Well, let's get moving before it gets so cold that we freeze solid." Picking up their paces, their soft footsteps were hardly audible even in the drowsy hustle and bustle of Nimbasa at dusk. Families were still returning from the amusement park, mothers calling out towards rowdy children and couples giving their goodbyes, but few cars were on the road, with work and dinner hours having been long past.

After a while, White broke the silence. "So, I couldn't help but wonder… Do you have any idea why the crime rate is rising on the subway and other trains? It's no wonder you would be worried about your clothes!"

Elesa shrugged, folding her arms across her chest. "Beats me. They seem more like petty crimes, honestly, but lately they've been getting more dangerous. The one you were in has been one of the worse ones to occur. Ingo and Emmet are practically scrambling to find an answer to all of this."

"It just has no logic!" White exclaimed, a puzzled expression on her face. "Why trains, of all places? Is it because there is nowhere to run, or is there something in particular they want?"

Elesa scratched absently at the side of her face. "I wouldn't get too worked up about it." She said. "Whether we sit here trying to figure it out or not doesn't make a difference, as it will be taken care of, I'm sure."

"I guess…" White replied, feeling a bit deflated. "I'm just worried, is all."

"Don't be!" Elesa said cheerfully. As they continued to walk around the corner, White recognized the brightly lit neon sign hanging on the side of a building indicating her hotel.

"This is my hotel right here!" White said, pointing up at the sign. Elesa followed the direction she was pointing with her gaze and smiled.

"Couldn't have chosen a better place myself." She commented. "Well, White, I should probably be heading back now. After all, I've got a fashion show to plan!" She ended with a mischievous grin.

"Ok!" White replied. "Thanks a ton for walking me back, Elesa, and good luck with the show!" Elesa smiled and waved as she turned back around the corner and became engulfed in shadow. White turned back around and rested her hand against the cold door handle of the hotel. _Am I doing the right thing, getting involved in this?_ She thought. Then, shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts, she pushed her way through the glass doors.


End file.
